Zee News Ltd (ZNL) is all set to increase its foothold in the new space. Next on the agenda of the media house is a Marathi news channel, 24 Tas, which is planned for a December launch. Zee News Ltd Director, Laxmi Goel, said that the company intended to invest Rs 1 billion over the next three years in the language news space.

“This is the space which has the potential to grow now and we want to tap these opportunities before others. There is quite a lot that we have planned in this space and we are sure that these endeavours would help the group grow further,” said Goel.

He is clear that regional language news channels are going to play a key role in Zee News’ plans forward. Even as he isn’t ready to divulge much on the channel planned, languages like Tamil and Malayalam are also on the drawing board that would take care of the South market.

Goel said, “Zee News is perhaps the most watched channel, nationally and internationally. The news space in India is growing at an enviable rate, but that doesn’t mean that there is no fragmentation. With channels like a Marathi news channel, which are, in a manner of speaking, untouched territories, the growth of the group would be fuelled more.”